thestar.co.uk
readable, with friction
D Poor. Readable only just
Loading speed is diagnostic only; it does not affect this grade or search ranking.
| Subject | Weight | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Interruption | 35.71% | not scored |
| Readability | 28.57% | 42 |
| Accessibility and keyboard | 21.43% | 87 |
| Stability and weight | 14.29% | 90 |
This letter rests on 64% of the grade. The subjects marked “not measured” are left out rather than scored as zero (which would fail a site for something nobody looked at) or as full marks (which would be a claim we have not earned). How this is worked out.
- Largest paint
- 0.1s
- Paywall
- none — but asks you to register
- Ad requests
- 157
- Tracker requests
- 62
- Page weight
- 1.3 MB
- Readability
- 16px type · 1.8 line height · 72 characters per line · 15.9:1 contrast
- Accessibility
- 2 automated checks failed (2 serious)
- Green hosting
- not measured
- Measured
- 2026-08-31
Observed interruptions
Ad and tracker counts above are network requests, not counts of visible ads or separate companies. They do not affect the interruption score.
Interruption evidence is incomplete or needs review, so this subject is not scored. Missing evidence is not treated as an interruption-free page.
The type, and who can use it
Measured on 1 rendered page; latest measurement 2026-09-05. Every number is a mechanical fact about the page, not a judgment of its design.
| What | Measured | The bar |
|---|---|---|
| Body type size | 16px | 16px, the browser default |
| Characters per line | 72 | 45–90 |
| Line height | 1.75 | 1.5 (WCAG 1.4.8) |
| Text contrast | 15.9:1 | 4.5:1 (WCAG AA), 7:1 (AAA) |
| Text column | 52% of the window | at least 45% |
| Reflows at phone width | no — scrolls sideways at 360px | WCAG 1.4.10 |
| Dark mode | no | noted, not scored |
| Automated accessibility checks | 2 automated checks failed (2 serious): color-contrast, link-in-text-block | WCAG 2.1 A and AA, via axe-core |
| Keyboard | no trap; focus visible on 100% of stops | never trapped, always visible |
| Structure | main landmark, 1 h1, no skipped heading levels | a main landmark, one h1, no skips |
| Alt text | no content images | every content image |
| Reader mode | parses | parses (Firefox’s Readability) |
Automated accessibility checks catch an estimated 30–40% of real problems, so “no automated violations detected” is a floor, not a certificate. We never say “accessible”. How these are scored.
Recorded automated findings
| Recorded behavior | Policy cost | Use in this grade |
|---|---|---|
| Asks you to register, but you can read without it | 0.30 | Needs review; not scored |
| Subscription, app-install or donation prompt appears as you scroll | 0.20 | Needs review; not scored |
These records are retained for inspection. Only verified interruption evidence contributes to that subject; uncertain records are not silently treated as clean. Metering keeps its separate grade cap. These costs are not currently applied as search-ranking multipliers.
Measurement dates
Oldest evidence 50 days old. At least one subject is due for rechecking (30 days or older). Dates refer to the evidence, never the card rebuild.
- Access and interruptions:
- Readability and accessibility:
Measurement history
Newest 4 saved observations. Each describes a sampled page at that time; older, failed or held observations do not override the current reviewed card. Raw automated findings may have been superseded by later review or detector replay. No previous grade is inferred.
Read dated observations
- — Readability and accessibility observation; prose source p; desktop type 16px; phone overflow observed
https://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/football/sheffield-wednesday/sheffield-wednesday-squad-news-for-wycombe-wanderers-as-injuries-mount-up-8949829
Evidence source: readability-top5000.jsonl · observation 4922a936b8de - — Access observation: penalised; raw automated findings soft registration nag, newsletter modal; review required
https://www.thestar.co.uk/recommended/kids-changing-robe-regatta-sale-changing-robes-kids-swimwear-discount-8948960
Evidence source: verdicts-top5000.jsonl · observation 29e47382d0e7 - — Access observation: penalised; raw automated findings soft registration nag, newsletter modal; review required
https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/crime/csi-examine-house-where-baby-girl-died-as-seven-remain-in-custody-after-murder-arrests-8951218
Evidence source: verdicts-top5000.jsonl · observation 781899d352a4 - — Access observation: penalised; raw automated findings soft registration nag, newsletter modal; review required
https://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/football/sheffield-wednesday/sheffield-wednesday-squad-news-for-wycombe-wanderers-as-injuries-mount-up-8949829
Evidence source: verdicts-top5000.jsonl · observation 67ad827358d3
How we know
| Pages rendered | 3 |
|---|---|
| Site verdict | errors dropped; majority of remaining; ties to the stricter verdict; active reviewed exclusions override admission |
| Figures shown | numeric measurements generally use medians; interruption costs, overflow, keyboard traps and accessibility failures retain the strongest observed finding |
| Cited by | 2,349 encyclopedia articles |
| Flagged | at least one render was degraded, so this card is queued for re-measurement |
Think this is wrong? It may well be — the measurements cover only a handful of pages. Any reviewed admission decision and its dated evidence are shown above. Re-measurement on request is not built yet, so there is no button here that would do anything. When it exists it will be free and it will be on this page.